Acetylene-gas generator.



(No Model.)

' Patented ec. 31,7l9ol. A. My. mMMlcK.

ACETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

(Application med Feb, 27, 1901.)

2 SIBS-Shet l.

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N0. 689,858. Patented'Dec. 3|, |90I. A. M..DIMMICK.

ACETYLENE GAS GENERATOR. (Application fvled Feb. 27, 1901.)

' (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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NTTED STaTieis` PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT M. DIMMICK, OF WILKESBARRE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, OF ONE-HALF TO THOMAS CASSEDY AND JOHNV NV. DORAN, OF WILKESBARRE, PENNSYLVANIA.

ACETYLEN E-eAs c EN ERATo R.

SPECIFICATION formi-11g part of Letters Patent No. 689,858, dated December 31, 1901.

Application filed February 27, 1901. Serial No. 49,102. (No model.) y

To all whom it may concern.: 1 K

Be itknown that I, ALBERT M. DIMMICK, a vcitizenof the United States, residing at Wilkesbarre, in the county of Luzerne andl Stateof Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Acetylene-Gas Generator, of which the following is a specification. v

My invention is an improved acetylene-gas generator; and it consists in the peculiar con- Io struction and combination of devices hereinafter fully set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View of an acetylene-'gas generator constructed in accordance with my invention. Y Fig. 2 is a similar View of the same, taken on a plane atright angles to that of- Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the same, taken on a plane indicated by the line ct a of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail per.-

2o spective view of the means for automatically actuating the carbid-feeder. Fig. 5 is a detail sectionalview of the carbid-feeder.

The water-tank 1 is provided with a false bottom'2, thereby forming a chamber 3 below 2 5 the water-tank, through which chamber'the spent carbid can be taken out. This chamber is provided with a suitable door 4:'. In

the false bottom 2, at a suitable pointis an opening 5, which is normally closed by a valve 3o 6,-hinged on one side, as at 7, and provided with an operating rod 8, which projects through one side of the water-tank and is provided with a suitable handle 9, whereby the said valve may be readily opened or closed. 3 5 Around the upper portion of the water-tank is a seal-chamber 10, in which is disposed the bell 11. The said seal being iilled or partially filled with water, a water seal is formed between the tank 1 and the bell, and hence gas- 4o is prevented from escaping, aswill be under stood. The bell is provided at its center with a depending guide-rod 12, whichV operates in an opening in a suitable xed guide 13, with which thewater-tank 1 is provided. A tube 14:, which is open at its lower end and has its lower end disposed at some distance above the lower edge of the bell, is in one side of the latter and in the seal-chamber. A blowoft pipe 15 has its upper open end disposed 5o in the said pipe 14. In the event of undue gas-pressure in the holder formed by the tank .ofthe carbid-hopper.

andbell the latter is raised a sufficient height to uncover the lower end of the tube 14, whereupon the excess gas enters said tube and passes therefrom through the blow-oi pipe 15, as will be understood. The said pipe 15 is provided with an inclined portion 16, at the inner end of which is a dependingfoot 17, which is submerged in the Waterin the tank. This prevents the blow-off pipe from becomingobstructed bythe water of condensation carried by the gas'.

On one side of the water-tank,at a suitable distance therefrom, is diposed a vessel 18, which ispreferably cylindrical in shape, but may be of any other suitableform. The said vessel, at'the upper portion thereof, is provided with a seal-chamber 19. The cover 2O of said Vessel is water-sealed in said chamber, as shown. A carbid-receptacle 2l is formed in theivessel-lS. The latter inthe form of my invention here shown is provided with an inclined plate 22, which forms the bottom One 'side of the latter isv formed by a vertically-disposed plate 23, the sides of which are ttedin vertical guides 24, and thereby the said plate 28 may be removed, as will be understood. Between the said plate 23 and one side of the vessel18, on one side of the carbid hopper or receptacle 21, is formed a chamber 25.t In the plate 28, at the lower side ofthe hopper,vis.a circular opening, in which is mounted the open cylindrical inlet 26 of the pivotally-mounted carbid-feeder 2'7, which is rectangular in form and is shown in section in Fig. 5. The said cylindrical inlet .2G-forms one of the bearings for the carbid-feeder, the other bearing therefor being formed by a rock-shaft 28, which is journaled in one side of the vessel 18. The inner-end of said rock-shaft is coupled to the carbid-,feeder by any suitable means which will enable the said rock-shaftto be detached from the carbid-feeder, so that the latter, when the plate 23 is withdrawn from the vessel 18; will be removed with said plate. As here shown, the said .rock-shaft 28 and the bearing-boss 29 on the outer side of' the carbid-feeder are provided with registering openings, in which is iitted a coupling-pin 30,

which when in place locks the carbid-feeder to the said rock-shaft, so that said feeder shown.

and rock-shaft will .turn together. The cylindrical inlet-bearin g 26 of the carbid-feeder is provided with a series of stirring-spurs 31, which prevent the carbid in the hopper 21 from packing and render it certain that the carbid will fiow through the opening 26 into the carbid-feeder. The latter is provided with a receiving-pocket 32, which communicates with the inlet 26 and is of suitable capacity, and with a discharging-chamber 33, which communicates with one end of the receiving-pocket, as at 34, the opposite end of said discharging-chamber being open, as A spring 35, connected to the plate 23 and to the carbid-feeder, tends to maintain the latter in the position shown.

To the outer lend of the rock-shaft 28 is secured a tilt-ing arm 36, having a member 37 at its inner end, at an angle thereto, to which member is pivoted a catch 38, the upper end of which projects beyond the upper end of said member 37. At the lower end of the said lpivoted catch 38 is a projecting shoulder 39.

'lhe said catch 38 is by a spring 40 normally retained in such position as to cause the shoulder 39 to engage a stop-stud 41, with which the member 37 is provided. A suitable support 42 projects from one side of the vessel 18, opposite and proximate to the tank 1. To this support is pivoted a lock-bar 43, as at 44. A spring 45 connects the inner end of said lock-bar to the said support and normally depresses the inner end of said lock-bar and maintains the samein position to be engaged by the spring-pressed catch 38, as shown in Fig. 4. An operating-rod 46 is carried by the bell 1l. The said rod is provided at its lower end with a lifting-arm 47 and at a suitable distance above said lifting-arm is provided with a trip-arm 48. The lifting-arm 47 has at its outer end a spr'ing-catch 52, similar to the catch 3 8, to clear the arm 36 when the bell descends.

A conduit 49 leads from the lower end of the'chamber 25 to the water-tank and discharges into the latter. A service-pipe 50 leads from the tank l and has a vertical branch 5l at its inner end, which is open at its ends, its upper end heilig disposed in the gas-space in the gas-holder and its loweifend being submerged in the water in the tank. A Water-supply pipe 52 is provided for the tank l and is formed with a water seal 53.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The hopper 2l being charged with carbid, acharge of the same passes through the inlet 26 of the carbid-feeder to the receivingpocket 32 thereof. Vater having been supplied to the tan-k 1,. the tilting arm 36 is lifted manually, thereby causing the carbidfeeder to make a partial rotation, during which the charge of carbid in the feeder passes from the receiving-pocket through the way 34 into the discharging-chamber 33. As

soon as the tilting arm is released the spring 35 returns the carbid-feeder to the position shown in Fig. 5, thereby causing the charge of carbid to be discharged from the chamber 33 of the carbid-feeder into the conduit 49, through which it passes by gravity into the body of the water in the tank l. At the same time a fresh charge of carbid enters the receiving-pocket 32 of the carbid-feeder through the inlet 36. The charge fed to the water-tank and submerged in the body of Water therein generates acetylene gas in the usual manner, the gas as it is generated rising through the body of water into the gas-holder formed by the upper portion of the tank l and the bell ll. As the gas rises through the water it is thoroughly washed and purified, and, moreover, t-he body of water is so great as to prevent the heating of the gas and of the apparatus. As the gas accumulates in the holder the bell rises, whereupon the lifting-arm 47, carried thereby, engages the tilting arm 36 of the rock-shaft 28, connected to the carbidfeeder, and turns the latter through a partial revolution against the tension of the spring 35, thereby disposing the open end of the discharging-chamber 33 above the channel or passage 34, and hence the charge of carbid passes from the receiving-pocket 32 into the closed end of the chamber 33, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5. In this position of the carbid-feeder the spring-pressed catch 38 is engaged by the lock-bar 43. Thereby the carbid-feeder is retained in the position last described. As the gas is used the bell descends until the trip-arm 48 engages the locking-arm 43 and releases the inner end of the latter from the spring-pressed catch 38, whereupon the spring 35 causes the carbid-feeder to partly rotate and supply a fresh charge of carbid to the tank l, as hereinbefore described. Hence my improved apparatus is automatic in its action and, moreover, generates the gas only in the quantities required and as fast as the gas is used.

It will be understood that the carbid-holder 2l may be of any suitable capacity and that a considerable quantity of carbid may be placed therein and kept therein for an indenite length of time without danger of deterioration. No gas can escape from the vessel 18 or from the gas-holder. Hence there is no danger ol an explosion caused by bringing a light near the apparatus. In practice I place a quantity of oil on the Water in the conduit 49, as at 49, which prevents moist air or gas from rising into the chamber 25 and injurying the carbid in the hopper. Normally the valve 6 is open, and the carbid fed into the watertank reaches and becomes spent in the chamber 3. The accumulation of spent carbid in the chamber 3 by displacing some of the Water maintains the waterlevel in the tank 1, the pipe 52 coacting to accomplish this result. When it becomes desirable to remove the spent carbid, the Valve 6 is irst closed and the door 4 opened. It will .be understood from the foregoing description that no gas escapes from the apparatus when the spent carbid is removed there- IDO IOS

IIO

y asv from or when the carbid chamber or hopper 21 is uncovered for replenishing, nor under any conditions incident to the use of the apparatus.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1.] In an acetylenegaS-generating apparatus, the combination of `a carbid-receptacle, a pivotally-mounted carbid-feeder communieating therewith and having a receivingpocket and a discharge-chamber, the former closed at one end and the latter open at one end and at its opposite end communicating with the receiving-pocket, a spring to normally maintain said carbid-feeder in position with the closed end of the receiving-pocket down, a gas-holder having a movable element and means actuated by said movable element to turn the said carbid-feeder against the tension of said spring, substantially as described.

2. In aeetylene-gas-generating apparatus, the combination of a carbid-receptacle., a pivotally-mounted carbid-feeder, a spring to move the same in one direction, a tilting armA to move the same in the reverse direction, a spring-pressed catch carried by said tilting arm, a locking-arm normally engaged by said spring-pressed catch and a gas-holder havingl a movable element provided with a trip-arm and a lifting-arm, for the purposes set vfort-h, substantially as described.

3. In acetylene-gas-generating` apparatus, the combination of a carbid-receptacle', a carbid-feeder having a receiving-pocket and a discharge-chamber, the former -being closed at one end and the latter open at oneend and at its opposite end communicating with the receiving-pocket, said carbid-feeder having a cylindrical inlet communicating with the receiving-pocket, journaled in an opening in a'wall of the carbid-receptacle, forming a.

bearing for the carbid-feederand provided with'projecting stirring-spurs, a spring to normally maintain said carbid-feeder in position with the closed end of the receivingpocket down, a gas-holder having a movable element and means actuated by said movable element to turn the said carbid-feeder against the tension of said spring, substantially as described.

4. In acetylene-gas-generating apparatus, a vessel having a carbid-receptacle therein, a removable plate forming one side of said carbid-receptacle, a pivotally-mounted earbid-.feeder carried by said plate,- a rock-shaft in one-side of said vessel, means to operate said rock-shaft and a 'coupling between said rock-shaft and said pivotally-mounted carbid-feeder, whereby said rock-shaft may be detached from said carbid-feeder when thev plate which carries said' carbid-feeder is re"- moved, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT M. DIMMIOK.

Witnessesi Y GEORGE' B. HIELMAN GEO. T. BELL. 

